Historic Record Center Ribbon-Cutting Sept. 28

News Highlights

Historic Records Center ribbon-cutting, open house on
Saturday, Sept. 28, from 1 to 3 p.m..

Documents on display include George Washington’s original will
in his own hand.

Official documents date from the formation of Fairfax County in
1742 through the early 1900s.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m. members of the Fairfax County Board
of Supervisors, the City of Fairfax mayor and council members will
join with Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk John T. Frey to cut the ribbon
on the Historic Courthouse’s renovated Historic Records
Center. The Fairfax Historic Courthouse is located at 4000 Chain
Bridge Road, Fairfax. The ribbon-cutting will be followed by an open
house until 3 p.m. with tours of the renovated
archives and the historic courtroom.

The Historic Records Center, which is part of Fairfax Circuit Court,
holds precious documents including George Washington’s original will
in his own hand, deeds for Pohick Church pews that include the
signatures of George Mason and George Washington and some Civil War
soldiers’ graffiti. The oldest portion of the Historic Courthouse dates to
1799. Circuit Court judges still use the historic courtroom
occasionally to convene court.

The Historic Records Center includes official documents from the
formation of Fairfax County in 1742 through the early 1900s. As
custodian of the community’s public record, Frey explains, “Even
— perhaps especially — in a digital age, we have to care for our
community’s narrative. To tell future generations the complete
story of Fairfax means properly archiving these documents of our
treasured past.”